CTIA, the U.S wireless industry association, recently announced the launch of a new service called Stolen Phone Checker (www.stolenphonechecker.org) that helps consumers, businesses and law enforcement agencies check the status and authenticity of used or second-hand mobile devices to see if they have previously been reported lost or stolen. It is part of CTIA’s commitment to safeguarding the experience of American consumers with regard to mobile devices.

The GSMA is partnering with CTIA to deliver this initiative – their new service is based on GSMA Device Check. Through Device Check, the GSMA has provided this global capability in the U.S. market and beyond for over 10 years and receives millions of device checks each month. And now CTIA is expanding these capabilities even further, with the launch of Stolen Phone Checker.

By inputting a device’s unique serial number or International Mobile Equipment Identifier (IMEI) into the database, users of Stolen Phone Checker will have instant access to the world’s largest collection of data concerning reported lost or stolen phones provided by carriers, including information on different device models and their capabilities. If the device has been blocked, it will be marked with a red warning status and will highlight that it might not be able to access mobile networks. GSMA Device Check contains regularly refreshed data supplied by over a hundred carriers internationally, including US operators AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, US Cellular and Verizon Wireless.

With a number of different security features already available to consumers such as the ability to remotely lock or wipe devices as well as password access, devices are already being safeguarded, leading to a decline in mobile device theft. This partnership will extend this by letting users make informed decisions about the authenticity of devices ahead of purchase, as well as help users protect their property and personal information and reduce the impact of smartphone theft. Law enforcement agencies will also be able to identify stolen devices and potentially help to recover them. Indeed, CTIA has also launched a separate portal especially for police, enabling them to quickly verify the status of devices. In the long run, it will help to prevent crime and limit the movement of fraudulent devices in the future.

For further information on GSMA Device Check, please go to:
www.gsma.com/managedservices